While Rei and Noise engaged in a struggle that could only be described as inhuman, another superhuman battle was unfolding elsewhere on the Brissa Plain.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Facing the Water Dragon that lunged toward her with a deafening roar, Vihera leaped high into the air to evade the strike. In the next instant, the ground where she had just been standing was gouged out by the dragon's charge.
Watching from mid-air, Vihera flashed a smile. She twisted her body, regained her stance upon landing, and immediately closed the distance toward Digma.
The Water Dragon, a creature manifested from water, certainly possessed peerless power. However, as its massive form was composed entirely of liquid, it was clear that engaging it head-on would be nothing short of foolish. Even Vihera’s signature Magic Impact Palm required a physical body to be effective. The Water Dragon was merely a pseudo-creature; even if its form were destroyed, it could easily recover as long as a source of water was available.
There was no point in dealing with such a puppet. If she was going to fight, her target had to be the Puppet Master controlling it. With that judgment made, Vihera advanced toward Digma.
In a sense, however, that was a significant oversight. While Digma had indeed created the Water Dragon, it was composed of a Water Spirit—a being possessing its own degree of self-awareness. Once it realized its contractor was being targeted, it was capable of making its own tactical decisions.
"GYAAAAAAAA!"
The Water Dragon swung its tail at Vihera as she rushed toward Digma. It possessed a ranged attack called Water Breath, but unleashing such a torrent while Digma was in Vihera’s path would undoubtedly catch its master in the crossfire. Thus, it opted for a physical strike with its tail.
"I thought you might do that."
The massive tail of water approaching from her right was well within Vihera’s expectations. Just before impact, she leaped lightly. Despite being made of water, the tail possessed a firm tactile sensation; Vihera touched it, utilizing the force of the dragon’s own blow as a springboard to propel herself even faster toward Digma.
"I see. To think someone would utilize my Water Dragon in such a manner... I must admit, I’m impressed."
Despite his words, Digma didn't seem particularly rattled as he leveled his magic sword. As an A-Rank Adventurer, he was not easily shaken; he calmly prepared to intercept Vihera’s charge.
Judging from her battle with those other adventurers, she delivers a critical blow just by touching her opponent, Digma analyzed. In that case, I must remain wary of her hands.
From what Digma had seen, everyone hit by her attacks had lost consciousness. While they had only fainted, he deemed the technique "fatal" because falling unconscious in the middle of a battlefield was a death sentence. One couldn't evade arrows or defend against an approaching enemy while blacked out. It was, for all intents and purposes, a finishing move.
"However, that simply means I mustn't let her touch me," he muttered, gripping his magic sword tightly.
As his alias "Water Dragon" suggested, Digma’s greatest specialty was undoubtedly Water Spirit Magic. Yet, one could not reach A-Rank—nor earn a legendary alias—through magic alone. As he had demonstrated during his battle with Rei at the Fighting Tournament, Digma was highly confident in his swordsmanship, and his physical prowess was a genuine threat.
"Now, here I come!" Vihera declared, stepping forward with the supple grace of a feline beast.
She had already channeled magic power into her gauntlets to manifest her claws, intending to catch his magic sword with them if he attacked. Furthermore, she carefully maintained a position between the Water Dragon and Digma, ensuring the spirit behind her couldn't attack recklessly.
"Water Spirit, become a whip and strike the enemy."
At Digma’s command, four whips of water suddenly manifested around him. They flexed and lashed out, whistling through the air as they struck at Vihera.
Rather than evading to the side or retreating, Vihera chose to press the assault. She wove through the lashing whips with minimal movement while continuing her advance. As a parting gift, the claws extending from her gauntlets severed the whips mid-swing; the severed tips fell to the earth and dissolved into puddles. In an instant, she had neutralized all four whips, returning them to mere water.
To Digma, however, this was expected. In fact, it would have been a problem if she hadn't destroyed the whips. In that brief window, he had already begun shaping a new defense in front of him.
Seeing the shape of the water taking form, an image of the person she loved flashed through Vihera’s mind, causing her to stop reflexively.
"Magic Shield!?"
Indeed, the defense Digma had created was identical in shape to the Magic Shield skill used by Rei. The only difference was that while Rei’s version was made of light, Digma’s was composed of water.
"So you recognize it. It differs slightly from Crimson’s, but I guarantee its strength. ...More importantly, is it wise to stop moving?"
"!?"
Digma’s warning snapped her back to reality. She was supposed to be positioned between the Water Dragon and Digma. Or rather, she had been. While they were exchanging words, Digma had shifted his position, moving to a spot nearly diagonal to her.
Now, the Water Dragon no longer had to worry about hitting its master.
"GYAAAAAAAAAA!"
A massive torrent of water erupted from the dragon’s maw. The Water Breath lunged straight for Vihera.
She leaped a great distance to the side the moment she saw it. Even Digma found her instantaneous acceleration impressive. She couldn't evade the spray entirely, but the brunt of the torrent missed her. Some of the thin raiment Vihera wore was soaked, clinging to her skin, but she had avoided direct damage.
"Haaaaah!"
The wet, clinging raiment accentuated her curves, making her figure—already "poison for the eyes" to any man—appear even more alluring. Vihera paid no mind to her appearance; if anything, she seemed to flaunt it as she thrust her fist forward.
No matter how attractive she was, Digma couldn't afford to be distracted in the heat of battle—especially when his opponent was trying to drive a fist into him. He deployed his water shield to block the strike while simultaneously thrusting his magic sword forward. Behind them, the Water Dragon watched for an opening, ready to strike the moment the two combatants put distance between them.
Vihera’s strike collided with the water shield. Her magic claws shredded the defense instantly, destroying it with effortless ease. This was exactly what Digma had anticipated, and he followed through with his sword thrust.
However, the sensation that traveled up his arm wasn't the feel of steel cutting through flesh, but a jarring, metallic impact. A high-pitched ring echoed as his magic sword was deflected upward.
What happened? The question flickered in his mind, but his body reacted before he could consciously process it. Rather than resisting the force that had knocked his blade back, he twisted his body to follow the momentum, killing the impact and transitioning into his next movement. As he spun through the air, Digma checked his blade; fortunately, the magic sword hadn't been chipped or broken.
"Water Spirit!"
Using the momentum of his rotation, Digma unleashed another thrust, using a sudden geyser of water to obscure Vihera’s vision. From behind this Water Blind, the sharp sword tip darted toward her. Vihera crouched low to evade the strike, then unleashed a spinning kick. The blades extending from her greaves slashed through the air to sweep his legs.
"Gugh!"
Vihera’s counterattack, timed perfectly with his thrust, shredded Digma’s greaves and cut into his shins. With a cry of pain, Digma leaped backward to put distance between them.
"Water Spirit, heal."
Obeying his command, the water floating around him enveloped his injured leg. The wound was shallow—a mere surface laceration. Within seconds, the cut had vanished completely.
"...Using recovery magic as well? How troublesome," Vihera muttered, brushing back her wet hair and narrowing her eyes.
Normally, that ten-second window would have been enough to launch her next assault. However, as she glanced behind her, she saw the Water Dragon poised and ready, its maw open to spit water the moment she made a move. Had she tried to attack, the dragon would have undoubtedly intervened.
"Is that so? From my perspective, you are the troublesome one," Digma replied. "The skill you used to block my magic sword was impressive, but your instant reaction the moment your vision was obscured is what truly surprises me. Normally, a person would be dazed for a few seconds."
He swung his magic sword swiftly, the blade letting out a sharp whistle as it cut through the air. That movement alone was a testament to his high level of skill.
"Is that a compliment? I’ve survived my fair share of life-and-death struggles... like this!"
The moment she finished speaking, she kicked off the earth. An instant later, the Water Dragon spat a torrent of water, but Vihera was already gone. She reached the space directly in front of Digma before the attack could land.
"Hyu!"
Her left hand swung with a sharp breath, the claws extending from the gauntlet targeting Digma’s chest. Those tips were sharp enough to pierce his leather armor with ease. Digma didn't dare take the blow; he leaped backward to evade the claws.
That, however, was exactly what Vihera had intended.
As Digma jumped back, Vihera followed, moving forward even as she retracted her left hand. She thrust out her right hand—not with claws, but with an open palm—and touched his leather armor.
A shiver ran down Digma’s spine. Sensing something fatal in that simple touch, he tried to bring his sword tip around, but his arm was blocked by the claws on Vihera’s left gauntlet. As Digma tried to reach out with his left hand to shove her away—
"Ha!"
With a short shout, magic power poured from her palm and permeated Digma’s body, unleashing its destructive power within.
Vihera had no intention of killing him with her Magic Impact Palm. Had she wanted him dead, his internal organs would have ruptured by now. Digma was a legendary Alias Holder and an A-Rank Adventurer, and his personality was remarkably virtuous. Killing such a man during this civil strife would be a massive loss for the Bestia Empire.
B-Rank or higher adventurers were rare enough, but an Alias Holder contributed more to the nation’s strength than most common nobles. Should her younger brother Mercurio win this war, Digma would be an invaluable asset to his administration. Though Vihera had left the empire, it was still her homeland, and she refused to kill a man who could serve her brother’s future.
As she looked down at the unconscious Digma, Vihera suddenly glanced behind her. The Water Dragon was still there, coiled and ready to pounce.
Usually, a construct created by magic would vanish the moment the caster lost consciousness. However, this dragon was a spirit Manifested through Water Spirit Magic. It possessed its own will. Because its purpose was to protect its master, it remained on guard against Vihera as she stood over the fallen Digma.
"Relax. I’m not going to kill him."
"GYAAAA."
The Water Dragon let out a short cry, seemingly skeptical of her words. Vihera paid its wariness no mind and scooped Digma up from the ground.
"I can't just leave him here, though. It would be a problem if he sided with the Subjugation Army again once he wakes up, so I’ll be taking him into our custody for a while."
As she turned and began walking back toward her own camp, the Water Dragon finally seemed to believe her. Its form dissolved, and it spilled onto the earth as nothing more than ordinary water.